Pale Male; Citizen Hawk of New York City

Bibliographic Information
Schulman, Janet. 2008. Pale Male;Citizen Hawk of New York City.Ill. Meilo So. New York, New York. Alfred A. Knoff. ISBN 9780375845581
Dewey: 598.9
Audience: 3rd-6th grade
Reading Level: 6

Plot Summary
This picture book tells the true story of hawk that takes up residence in New York City. This is unusual as Hawks usually do not stay in urban areas as they prefer the solitude of the country. The narrative develops a timeline of events that bring this hawk to fame. The text follows the problems the hawk and his mates encounter in order to survive in this hostile environment. Offspring of the hawk still live in New York.

Critical Analysis
This is a beautifully written story that chronicles the tale of a red-tailed hawk that decided to stay in New York rather then return to the hawks normal nesting grounds. Meilo So uses watercolors to represent these beautiful wild creatures. The use of color lends itself at times to the hustle and bustle that is New York and then it quiets down to the more soothing earth tones that represent the nature found in the park.There is an interesting contrast between the description of the hawk as a good dad and the unkind remarks about those who are not happy with having the hawk as a neighbor. The same compassion shown by the author for the wild creatures is not extended to those with opposing views.
This book is a good starting point for a study of the needs of animals and man as we co-exist on this planet.

Awards
Bluebonnet Award Nominee

Review Excerpts
Horn Book (March/April, 2008). "With impressionistic virtuosity, Meilo So captures the city's rich variety."
Publishers Weekly (January 28, 2008). "this version stands out for its urbane reportorial prose and stylish watercolors."

Connections
This book will create many opportunities for children to question and learn about the the pros and cons of having the hawks for neighbors. The health menace due to the garbage created by these birds is an excellent jumping off point for debates based on solid research on the part of the students. The Audubon Society has websites and areas for children to search in order to learn more about other species that inhabit Central Park. The development of laws to protect animals and how they have evolved could be used to develop timelines and discussions about the effects they have on both wildlife and people. At the end of the book there is a short of a list of some books, DVD's and websites that offer further insite into the Hawk and its struggles.
Other areas of study would include; hawk habitats, nesting, eggs, and even the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Two websites that I came across have some really great information about the Pale Male.
The first at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/pale-male/introduction/2422. This websites offers an interview with a raptor rehabilitator, other links, an excellent introduction about hawks and a video that is short about species of animals around the world that are in some way in a struggle with their environment.
The second is; http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/pale-male. This site has news blogs related to the Pale Male. It is best used by older students.
There are many other good sites but I strongly recommend that teachers check them out prior to letting students access then. Some lead to sites that are inappropriate.